State Superintendent Randy Dorn released a statement regarding prayer at public schools. His letter is as follows:

Statement by State Superintendent Randy Dorn Statement on School Employees

OLYMPIA — October 23, 2015 — Recently there have been reports of a Washington state school district employee leading a prayer at a high school football game. It’s unfortunate when the actions of one employee affect an entire district.

Employees from each of our state’s 295 districts must follow the law whatever the source — whether it comes from school district policy, state statute or the U.S. Constitution. Most school districts in Washington take a similar approach when they have to balance when it’s appropriate for staff and students to exercise religious expression in school against the need to ensure that schools don’t advance religion or favor one religion over another.

It’s not always easy to apply the law. Or popular. But for me, rules usually come down to common sense. School staff exercising their right to silently pray in private on their own is fine. But leading a prayer isn’t. School officials are role models; leading a prayer might put a student in an awkward position, even if the prayer is voluntary. For students who don’t share the official’s faith, prayers the official’s public expression of faith can seem exclusionary or even distressing.  What’s more, that official could open the district up to a lawsuit.

Each and every district wrestles with these kinds of questions regularly. I commend them on the tough decisions they have to make.